Reaping Day
by tfplover14
Summary: "You always lose something in the end. Take me for example. I was reaped. I was lucky enough to have a sister so caring to volunteer my place, but I lost something greater than myself; My sister." The reaping from Prim's point of view. My first Hunger Games fanfiction. Rated T for sad themes and to be safe. Please R


Reaping Day

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**Hi! This is my first Hunger Games fanfiction, so please don't flame me! Since this is my first I decided to go with something simple.**

**I don't own the Hunger Games! All belong to Suzanne Collins! (I wish I did though... Then a crap load of people wouldn't have died...)**

**Enjoy!**

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I walked nervously to the Reaping, Katniss by my side. My eyes remained glued to the dusty ground, frightened to even look at the armoured Peacekeepers. The Reaping hasn't even begun and I was already apprehensive. But then again, who wasn't. It was a death lottery. Everyone had a reason to be scared.

I let out a small gasp when I saw the line of people behind a female Peacekeeper. She did something to their fingers and stamped it on a paper before moving onto the next child. _Someone help me._

Katniss pulled me aside as I began to sob out of fear, hushing me. "Prim it's OK, it's OK, it's time to sign in now. They're going to prick your finger just to take a little bit of blood-"

"You didn't say-" I cut her off, whimpering a bit.

"I know, it doesn't hurt much, just a little, OK?" She reassured me, stroking my cheeks with both hands fondly. "Just go down there with the little kids and I'll find you after, OK?"

I nodded, my breath speeding up. If I didn't calm down I could hyperventilate.

I went in line with the other kids and slowly showed the Peacekeeper my hand. She pricked my index finger and I winced. She stamped it down in the book, then used a pen-like object to identify me. "Go ahead." I shuffled anxiously to the roped area where they kept the twelve-year-olds.

A few silent moments pass before our eccentric escort taps the microphone enthusiastically. "Welcome, welcome! Welcome welcome!" She sang. "Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be EVER in your favor!"

She's a little too cheerful for her own good. "And now, before we begin, we have a very special film, brought to you all the way from the Capitol!" With that she gestured to a screen set up near the top of the Justice Building.

I was in no mood to watch the 'special film', so I purposely tuned out.

"I just love that!" The escort said, bringing me back to reality. "And now, the time has come for us to select one courageous young man and woman for the honour of representing District Twelve in the seventy-fourth annual Hunger Games. As usual, ladies first."

I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. The small little butterflies I had earlier intensified and they were fluttering at hurricane force, making me want to claw my stomach out just to feel the pleasure of having them stop. I wanted to turn away and go home. I didn't want to be here. I didn't want me or Katniss to go to those wretched Hunger Games. I wanted things to be OK.

The escort marched to one of the reaping bowls and stuck her hand in it, waving it around before drawing a name. Holding the neatly-folded paper with two fingers, she hobbled in her high heels back to the microphone.

The pounding was getting louder now.

She unfolded it and cleared her throat before reading it.

"Primrose Everdeen."

From that moment on everything felt like a bad dream. The girls around me turned to stare.

"Where are you, dear?" the escort's voice boomed through the mic. "Come on up!"

I slowly made my way out of the roped area, trying to keep my emotions in check.

As I walked down the cleared area I remembered Katniss' words and tucked in the back of my shirt. _Tuck your tail in, little duck._

Everyone I passed by stared at me, intensifying my despair. I marched up to the stage, using all the energy I could muster to look brave.

"Prim!" I heard Katniss shriek.

I turned to see Katniss also standing in the cleared area. "Prim!" she shrieked again before starting towards me, the Peacekeepers immediately blocking her way.

"I volunteer! I volunteer!" She screamed, shoving a Peacekeeper off of her. "I volunteer as tribute!" She stated with great determination.

"Uh... I believe we have a volunteer!" The escort said as if she was narrating a magic show.

Katniss ran up to me and enveloped me in a hug. "You need to get out of here," she said before kneeling in front of me. "No!" I howled defiantly.

"You need to go find mom," she insisted.

"No." I said.

"Prim you need to go find mom." She repeated. "I'm so sorry."

"No! No!" I continued to say. Out of nowhere Gale scooped me up and started to walk away. I immediately went into hysterics. "NO! NO! NO!"

"The maddest turn of events here in District Twelve," the crazy escort narrated. I watched from Gale's shoulder as Katniss was escorted to the stage by the Peacekeepers.

"District Twelve's first volunteer," the escort continued, seemingly satisfied by what was going on. I wanted to slap her out of anger.

Katniss walked up to the stage as the escort beckoned her up excitedly. "Come on, dear." She physically directed Katniss to center stage. Gale put me down next to mom and she embraced me in a hug.

"What's your name dear?" the escort asked.

"Katniss Everdeen." My sister muttered without enthusiasm.

"Well I'll bet my hat that was your sister, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

The escort went back to magic-show mode. "Let's have a big hand for our very first volunteer, Katniss Everdeen." She began to clap eagerly. No one joins her.

Slowly, one by one, everyone put three fingers to their lips and lifted them into the air. A sign of farewell; a sign of admiration.

Completely ignoring the gesture the escort continues. "And now for the boys." she marched over to the second bowl and fishes out a slip with no hesitation. She walks back over to the mic unfolds it.

"Peeta Mellark." She read.

I looked over to the boys' section and immediately identified Peeta by the people staring at him. His mouth is agape, as if he hardly believed what was happening. He was immediately escorted to the stage by the Peacekeepers.

"Here we are! Our tributes from District Twelve!" The escort said excitedly. "Well go on you two, shake hands!"

There was a long hesitation, but Katniss and Peeta finally shook.

"Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favour." The escort announced. With that she hurried dear Katniss and Peeta offstage.

If there's something I learned that fateful day, is that the odds are _never _in our favour. They can be, sometimes, but we always end up losing someone close to us in the Games. It can be a sister, a brother, a friend, a relative. You always lose something in the end. Take me for example. I was reaped. I was lucky enough to have a sister so caring to volunteer my place, but I lost something greater than myself; My sister.

I am Primrose Everdeen, and my sister is in the Hunger Games.

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**Review? It helps me improve. Don't be mean though. Thanks for reading.**


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